George gave me my first Virga pack. Jane just gifted me my second. I purchased a new 3/4 length, 3/4 inch Therm-a-Rest (no longer available on the Cascade Designs website) as a “frame”. I’m good to go for the next 5yrs.

Granite Gear Virga backpack with Therm-a-Rest frame

=== UPDATE:

Critical for me is my pillow.

I wrap this pillow with a fleece top.

The waterproof orange bag is sold by MEC as a “Pack Liner”. It weighs only 86gms and fits up to a 40litre pack.

Most of the bag is filled with the folded, partly inflated 3/4in, 3/4 length therm-a-rest air mattress, no longer available.

Some loose clothing, down jacket and stuff sacks are added to the bottom.

I started hiking about twenty years ago when I lived in North Carolina. I spent years hiking the Uwharrie and Appalachian mountains and really enjoyed it. Three years ago I moved to South Florida and wasn’t able to hike due to a back injury. Seven months ago I moved to Northern Illinois and was able to start hiking again. The prairie and hill hiking is completely different than the hiking I did in North Carolina, but still really fun. I have spent the past couple months hiking the forest preserves in the county I live in and the surrounding counties. I’m not use to the cold weather yet, and to be honest I really don’t want to get use to it. Thankfully, spring is almost here and along with it warmer weather…YAY! I’m looking forward to hiking the trails around here when the trees have leaves on them and I don’t have to wear four layers of clothing just to stay warm.

I though I would share some of my equipment tips with everyone. I bought a good fitting pair of waterproof hiking boots, a small backpack for my day hikes, and a couple cans of tent waterproofing. For extra protection from the water I sprayed my boots from top to bottom with the tent waterproofing. Then I sprayed my backpack, let it dry, and sprayed it again with the tent waterproofing to protect everything inside my pack from the rain. Whenever I go hiking, from day trips to week long hikes, I always take along the following items. Some people might think that taking some of these items is being overly cautious, but you never know when you might get hurt or lost and being prepared can make the difference between a fun hike and disaster.
1. I clip a stainless steel water bottle to one of the straps of my backpack and fill it with fresh water before every trip.
2. I pack a first-aid kit in my pack. I make sure the kit has Tylenol, Advil, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, bandages(different sizes), ACE bandages, first aid tape, popsicle sticks (for splints), needle, thread, and tweezers.
3. Water purification tablets, a couple extra bottles of water, and food. For food I pack a few apples and some dried fruit with nuts.
4. Rain poncho
5. Emergency blanket, the one that looks like aluminum foil… it really does keep you warm.
6. A compass
7. If you can get one, pack a map of the trail or of the surrounding area.
8. A knife
9. A coil of lightweight rope
10. A small tarp. Along with the rope, the tarp can be used to make a make-shift tent if you have to unexpectedly spend the night in the woods.
11. Water-proof matches, flint and steel, and a knife sharpener
12. an extra pair or two of socks
13. A flashlight
14. Plastic bags. I have a roll of plastic bags that you can cut to size then tie off the bottom. The plastic bags are good to pack your stuff in to protect if from water even though your pack will be water-proof. I also use the bags to put my trash in and any trash I pick up along the trail. Remember, pack it in…pack it out!

On my website, http://www.naturesfather.com, I have a day hike check list, long distance hiking check list, camping check list and my outdoor journal. I also have links to very good companies that sell all your outdoor gear needs at great prices. I also have from E-books up for FREE download!

Dear Sirs,
It is Gordon from Vellca Outdoor Sporting Goods Co.,Ltd in china that specialized in professional backpacks and camping backpacks and bags for any outdoor adventure from the backyards camper to the experienced hiker.
We always focus on manufacturing quality outdoor sports backpack bags that include hiking backpack, mountain backpack, travelling backpack, trekking Backpack bags, laptop backpack, military backpack, running backpack, cycling backpack, hydration backpack, sports travel duffels and some other athletic bags. We are in this field for many years and always export to many countries overseas.
We can do OEM orders based on your custom design and needs, also we have our own designs and backpacks on shelf available that you can buy as well that no minim quantity limitation.
If you have any interested in these sports bags and any help we can do, please feel free to let me know.
Look forward to your kindly reply and hope to be your partner relationship for business.
Thank you for your time..
Kind regards,
Gordon
Sales Manager
Website: http://www.vellca.com
Email: Info@vellca.com
Phone: 0086-755-84571763
Address: The 3rd floor, GaoPengcheng Building, GuanYayuan 2nd zone, No. 7, Bantian street, Longgang District, Shenzhen City, China.